The International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine (IJMTFM) is committed to maintaining a rigorous, fair, confidential, and ethical peer-review process. The journal follows internationally recognized principles and recommendations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
Peer review is an essential component of the editorial process and is intended to evaluate the scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical conduct, clarity, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.
IJMTFM uses a single-blind peer-review process.
Under the single-blind model:
The journal considers reviewer anonymity an important mechanism for supporting objective and independent assessment of submitted manuscripts.
All manuscripts submitted to IJMTFM undergo an initial editorial assessment before being sent for external peer review.
The initial assessment may consider:
The Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor may reject a manuscript without external peer review if it is outside the scope of the journal, does not meet basic editorial or ethical requirements, or is considered unsuitable for further consideration.
Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial assessment are normally sent to at least two independent expert reviewers.
Depending on the subject matter, methodology, complexity of the manuscript, or disagreement between reviewers, the journal may invite additional reviewers.
Reviewers are selected based on their relevant scientific expertise, methodological experience, publication record, and ability to provide an impartial assessment.
The final editorial decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor after consideration of the reviewers' comments and the overall scientific and ethical quality of the manuscript.
Possible editorial decisions include:
A reviewer's recommendation is advisory and does not by itself determine the final editorial decision.
At the time of submission, the corresponding author may be invited to suggest qualified potential reviewers who have appropriate expertise in the subject of the manuscript.
Authors may also identify individuals who they believe should not be invited to review their manuscript because of a potential conflict of interest. Where such exclusions are requested, authors should provide a reasonable justification.
Suggested reviewers must be independent of the authors and should not have a significant personal, professional, institutional, financial, or collaborative relationship with the authors that could compromise their impartiality.
The submission of suggested reviewer names does not guarantee that those individuals will be invited to review the manuscript.
The final selection of reviewers is made independently by the Editor-in-Chief or designated editor. The journal may use author-suggested reviewers when appropriate but is not obligated to select them.
Authors must not contact suggested reviewers regarding the manuscript or attempt to influence the peer-review process.
IJMTFM follows a single-blind peer-review model in which reviewers remain anonymous to authors.
Reviewers should not disclose their identity to authors, either directly or indirectly, during or after the review process unless the journal explicitly adopts a different review model for a particular article.
Reviewer names and identifying information will not normally be included in the decision letter or reviewer comments sent to authors.
The journal may maintain records of reviewer identities for editorial and administrative purposes and for the management of peer-review quality and conflicts of interest.
IJMTFM aims to process manuscripts efficiently while maintaining the quality and integrity of peer review.
The duration of peer review may vary depending on the availability of suitable reviewers, the complexity of the manuscript, the need for additional reviews, and the time required for editorial assessment.
The journal therefore does not guarantee a fixed review period.
Reviewers are encouraged to complete their evaluations within the timeframe specified in the review invitation. Authors will be informed when substantial delays occur whenever practicable.
When revisions are requested, authors should normally submit the revised manuscript within the deadline specified in the editorial decision. Authors who require additional time should contact the editorial office before the deadline.
Where applicable, reviewers and editors may consider recognized reporting guidelines appropriate to the study design, including:
Authors are encouraged to consult and follow the appropriate reporting guideline before submission.
Reviewers are expected to:
All manuscripts submitted to IJMTFM are confidential documents.
Reviewers must not:
Editors and editorial staff must also maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not disclose information about a manuscript to individuals who are not directly involved in the editorial process.
Reviewers must disclose any circumstances that could affect, or could reasonably be perceived to affect, their objectivity.
Potential conflicts may include:
If a significant conflict of interest exists, the reviewer should decline the invitation.
Familiarity with an author's previous research does not necessarily constitute a conflict of interest. However, reviewers should inform the editor when such familiarity could reasonably affect their impartiality.
A useful peer review should be objective, specific, constructive, and supported by clear reasoning.
Reviewers should evaluate, as appropriate:
Reviewers should distinguish between major concerns that affect the validity or reliability of the research and minor issues that can be addressed during revision.
Reviewer reports should be clear, respectful, and constructive.
Reviewers are encouraged to:
Reviewer comments should be written in clear and professional language.
The journal may edit reviewer comments for clarity, professionalism, or compliance with its ethical standards.
When revisions are requested, authors should respond carefully to all substantive reviewer and editorial comments.
A revised manuscript should normally be accompanied by a response to reviewers explaining:
Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or evaluated by the editor, depending on the nature of the revisions.
The Editor-in-Chief has final responsibility for editorial decisions.
Editorial decisions are based on scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical standards, relevance to the journal, and the overall assessment of the manuscript.
Authors who believe that an editorial decision resulted from a significant factual, procedural, or ethical error may submit a reasoned appeal to the editorial office.
An appeal should provide specific and substantive grounds and should not merely express disagreement with the decision.
The journal may seek additional expert advice when appropriate.
IJMTFM is committed to editorial independence.
Editorial decisions are made according to academic, scientific, and ethical considerations and must not be influenced by commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, personal relationships, or other external pressures.
The Editor-in-Chief and editors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and independently.
Editors with a conflict of interest concerning a manuscript must not participate in its editorial evaluation or final decision.
Reviewers must protect the confidentiality of manuscripts throughout the review process.
Reviewers must not enter confidential manuscript content, unpublished data, reviewer reports, or other protected information into publicly accessible artificial intelligence systems or generative AI tools unless such use has been expressly authorized by IJMTFM and appropriate confidentiality safeguards are available.
AI tools must not replace the reviewer's own critical assessment and professional judgment.
Reviewers remain responsible for the confidentiality and integrity of their review.
Reviewers should promptly inform the editor if they identify potential:
Reviewers should not independently investigate authors or contact their institutions unless specifically requested or authorized by the journal.
The International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine (IJMTFM) is committed to maintaining a peer-review system that is fair, confidential, constructive, timely, and free from inappropriate influence.
The journal will periodically review and update its peer-review policies in accordance with developments in international standards and relevant recommendations from COPE and ICMJE.